Tottenham Hotspur started 2020-21 pre-season with a dominant 3-0 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon, with Jose Mourinho picking a strong side for the game against the Football League side.
Goals from Ryan Sessegnon and a Son Heung-min brace assured victory for Spurs, who will be looking for a strong start to the new campaign.
Pre-season is always a time for young players to get a taste of first-team football and the Tottenham supporters will have been interested to get a look at summer signings.
However, one interesting Spurs team selection from Mourinho was the decision to deploy Gedson Fernandes at right-back.
As mentioned in a recent post, the Portugal international has made a positive impact since joining Tottenham from Benfica on an 18-month loan deal in January, but one of the major issues he has is the fact he does not have a specified role in the squad.
Capable of playing in a number of midfield roles, Fernandes taking to the pitch at right-back will have raised a few eyebrows.
However, with right-back a position that Tottenham fans have reservations around, especially as speculation over Serge Aurier’s future continues, it is good to know that the 21-year-old could be used there.
Fernandes looked tidy on the ball and got forward on plenty of occasions, with the loanee providing Spurs with an out-ball from midfield.
Working on the defensive side of his game will be required, especially against superior opposition.
However, with the midfield and attacking ranks having extreme competition for places, but Tottenham lacking strength in depth at full-back, perhaps a strong pre-season for the versatile Portuguese star could see him handed a surprise start against Everton in three weeks’ time.